Combined tractor and truck



JIJ. MOQRE COMBINED TRACTOR AND TRUCK May 8,l 1.923.

Filed May '7, 1920 4 sheets-Sheet 1 EZ/@fg J. J. MOORE COMBINED TRACTOR AND TRUCK May s, 1923. y 1,454,178

Filed May '7. 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 W/T/VESSES May 8, 1923.

J. J. MOORE COMBINED TRACTOR AND TRUCK Filed May '7. 1920 Y 4 'Sheng-sheet 5 Wma/5 sfs l 4%? Jam/J. waa/ff 11% www@ May s, 1923.

.1. 1. MOORE COMBINED TRACTOR AND TRUCK yFiled May '7, 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 flor/nag Patented May 8, 1923.

transmise y JOHN J'. MOORE, 0F BAVTAVIA, NEW YORK.

insana f COMBINED TRACTOR ANDTRUCK.

Application filed May 7, 1920. Serial No. 379,608. yi

To @ZZ whom t maf/y concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN J. MOORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Batavia7 in the county of Genesee and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Tractors and Trucks, of which Ithe following is a specification. l

This invention relates to a combined tractor and truck. y

The main object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character which may be quickly changed from a tractor to a truck and vice versa and also be roper-ated either as a medium or heavy weight tractor.

Another object is to so construct such a ymachine that it will perform all the functions of a tractor and yet may be changed i in a few minutes to a truck capable of travcling at a'high rate of speed.

Another object is to provide a tractor, all four of the wheels of which are operable as traction or drive wheels and equipped with mechanism for throwing out the front Wheels when desire'd and use them simply as steering wheels.

Another object is to provide vsteering mechanism operable either from the front or the rear of the machine. f

Another object is to provide steering mechanism operable either by hand' or automatically through the machine.

Another object is to provide a tractor with a laterally shiftable implement connecting device capable of being shifted in either direction, the entire width'of the machine witliout stopping, so that closer work to the fence lines can be effected. y

Another object is to so construct a machine of this character that the front wheels may turn completely around under the front of the machine7 making it( possible to turn the machine'around in a very short space.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which willappear as the description proceeds, the invention residesV in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details ofconstruc'tion hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes inthe precise embodiment of the 'invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure l represents a 'longitudinal` section of a machine embodying'this invention.`

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereofl with parts in section and parts brokenout.

Fig. 3. is a longitudinal section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

broken outand parts in section..` y i VFig. 5 is a. rear elevation with parts in section. l v i Fi-gf is a detail :sectional vie-w showing the means for raising and `lowering one of the ljack shafts.

Fig., 7 is a transverse section ytaken on thev line 7-7 ofFig. 6. y

Fig. 8 is a detail; side elevation of one of the tractor shoes.

Fig. 9 is a plan` view thereof; andln the embodiment illustratedl the Ina-y .chine constituting this invention comprises a substantially rectangular frame 1' con? at the rear than at the front, as show-n in Fig. 2. v This frameismounted on a pair of front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3, all 'of Fig. l() is a transverse sectionI taken on.,

' 60 Fig'. 4 is a 'front eleva-tion 'with parts which are constructed` to operatefas 'trac-rj tion or drive wheels. These wheels are eX- actly alike and each includes 'an annular geari arranged on the inner `face ofthe rim of the wheel and` carries a vgear 5 much sinailer in size than the gear 4, and which are designed to be alternately meshed with` cog-wheels 30, carried by jack-shafts? 8 `and 9,* the 'front wheels 2 being mounted on an axle 6 and the rear wheels on an aXle 7;

These axles 6 and 7 are supported in bear ings carried by frames depending from vframe l, the front wheel carrying! frame including a guide l() in which the jackshaft 8 is. mounted to move vertically'between bars 10a and l()b which form the guide 10..,

These bars depend from a platform orV plate 18 which has rising therefrom a' sleeve' 19 carrying at its upper end aaworm gear 20 which meshes with la' worin 21 on a steering shaft 22 and1v which isop'erableiin a manner hereinafter to be described. i

The steering rod or shaft-22 is composed `of two sections 23 'and 24 connected at theirv inner ends bya universal joint 2,5 which permits section 23 to be shifted laterally .l

' tudinal movement toward or for a purpose presently to be described. Section 24 carries at its front end a bevel gear 26 which meshes with a similar gear 31 carried by an upright steering post 32 having a steering wheel 33 for actuating it, The section 23 of the steering shaft 22 has mounted on its rear end a steering. wheel 27 positioned for convenient actuation by the operator who usually occupies the seat shown at S. The section 23 also has .fixed thereto a friction gear 28 which is designed to be brought into meshing engagement with gears 34 and 35 at the will of the operator. Both of the gears 34 and 35 are driven'by the main drive shaft 50 receiving motion through chains 36 and 37 respectively so that when the shaft section 23 is moved to the right` the gear 28 will be engaged with gear 34 whereby the machine will be steered through the main sha-ft 50 by the engine E. When section 23 is moved to the left the gear 28 will engage gear 35 and the machine steered in the'opposite direction. Normally, gear 28 is in the position shown in Fig. 2 out of mesh with the gears 34 and 35, so that the machine may be steered manually by the operator.

The jackshaft 9 which carries the cog wheels 30 designed to cooperate with the driving gears 4 and 5 on the rear wheels 3 is mounted to move vertically in a guide 11 between side bars 12 and 13 secured to the frame 1 and depending therefrom supporting at their lower ends a platform 14 which is further supported by depending brace bars 15 and 16 which support the opposite ends of the platform 14, diagonal braces 17 supporting the intermediate portion thereof.

The jackshaft 9 is connected with the differential 38 which is not shown in detail, since it is of ordinary construction. A shaft 39 extends therefrom and telescopically engages a sleeve 40 which is connected at its inner end by universal joint 41 with the rear end of the main driving shaft 59.

lt is, of course, understood that the shaft section 39 is angular in cross section and that the interior ofthe sleeve 40 is similarly formed so that these members will rotate in unison and yet be capable of longifrom each other to provide for the raising and lowering of the ackshaft 9 in the guide 11.

' The main drive shaft 50 has a gear wheel 51 fixed thereto and meshes with the gear 52 actuated by the engine indicated at E.

'This engine is intended to be a 75 H. P.

steam engine of suitable construction. The main driveshaft 50 is composed of two sections 53 and 54 designed to be connected by a clutch 55, one member of which carries a bevel gear 56 which meshes with a similar gear 57 iiXed to the upper end of a .vertically movable shaft 58 mounted to rotate in the sleeve v19. The shaft 58 is made hollow to receive a cooperating shaft member 59 carried by a bevel gear 60 which meshes with a similar gear 61 o ii the front jachsliaft 8, the telescopical engagement. of the shaft 59 with the shaft 58 providing for the vertical movement of the iac rshaft 8 so that the cog wheels 30 carried at the ends thereof may be brought at the will of the operator into meshing engagement with either of the gears 4 or 5 carried by the front wheels 2. y

A band pulley 62 is carried by the front end of the shaft section 54 and is designed to operate through a band, not shown, any machinery desired to be driven by the tractor. rlhe main shaft 50 is shown rotatably mounted in bearings carried by upstanding standards 63 supported by frame 1. Y

i4. clutchy actuating lever 64 engages the shiftable member of clutch 55 and has aiod '65 connected with its upper end and eX- tended to the `rear of the machine, being equipped with a hand grip 66 positioned for convenient actuation by the operator. From the above description it will be obvious that by shifting the clutch member connected with the rod 65 the front wheels may be thrown into or out of engagement with the driving shaft memberv 53, When they are engaged therewith the front wheels 2 operate as traction wheels and when the clutch is disengaged they are free to be used as steering wheels only.

When the machine is to be used as a tractor the cog wheels which are driven by the engine .through the main shaft and the mechanism above described, are brought into meshing engagement with the annular gear 4 ca rried by the front wheels 2. The positioning of these cogs 30 is controlled by an eccentric mechanism shown in detail in Fig. 6, which includes two disk shaped cam members 67 rotatably mounted'on standards or posts 68 carried by the front axle 6, yas is shown clearly in Figs. 4 and 6. Pivoted adjacent. the periphery of each of the disks 67 is a link 69 carried by the jackshaft 8 so that when said disks 67 are turned in one direction the shaft 8 will be raised as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 6 and when turned in the opposite direction it will be lowered into a full line position, shown in Fig. 6. When lowered, the cogs 3() carried by said jackshaft mesh. with the smaller gear 5 of the front wheels and when raised said cogs mesh with the larger gear 4. Y

To provide for the actuation of these disks a lever 70 is provided, and which is here shown equipped with a notch 71 in its free end which is designed to be'hookcd over a loop shaped link 72 carried by the axle 6, when said lever is swung into position to actuate the disk for raising the shaft 8 (see dotted lines in 6). ,4s is shown clearly in Fig.` 4, two ofthese eccentrics G7 are eniployed, each hai/'ing an actuating lever 70 and which are designed to be manually operated for changing the position of the cogs 30 according to whether it is ldesired to use the machine as a tractor or truclr,"it being understood that when the cogs 80 mesh with' the larger gears 4 slow motion is inipai'tefl to the Wheels, such as is desirable when the machine is to be used as a tractor, and when they are brought into meshingengagement with the smaller gears 5 more rapid' opera- 'tion of 'the wheelsis producen, such. as is necessary when the machine is to be used as a truck.

The mechanism above described for raising and lowering the jaclrshaft; 8 is d uplicated at the rear of the machine for raising and lowering the rear jac-kshaft 9 andthe parts are correspondingly7 numberedy The frame 1 is supported by springs 73 ylocated at boththefront andrear of the vehicle to adapt the machine for use as a truck and to insure the easy 'riding thereof.

sired configuration, being preferably in the.

form sho-wn in F ig. 9.

It will thus be seen that with the con-- sumption of a very few minutes this machine may be transformed from a tractor into a truck and vice versa.. The only change made ill when convertingit into a tractorfrom a truck is to remove the solid tires 74, replace them by the shoes 75, and then raise the jackshafts 8 and 9 to bringthe cog wheels 30` carried'thereby, into 'meshing engagement with thelarge gears 4. When changing from a tractor to a truck the operation is reversed and the shoes 7 5 are replaced by the tires 74 and the jackshafts 8 and 9 lowered to bring the cog Wheels 30 into meshing engagement with the gears 5, when the machine is ready to be actuated as a truck. If desired, the front wheels may be disconnected from the main driving shaft to permit them to beused as steering wheels and this is accomplished by shifting of the lever 64 through thev rod 65 so .as to throw the members of clutch out of engagement, thereby leaving the front wheels free for use as steering wheels. These wheels may then be steered by the| operator through the steering rod 22 and the wheel 27 from the rear of the machine, or they may be controlled by the engine, the operator having first shifted the rod sections 23 of said shaft 22 to bring the gear 28 into engagement with one or the other-.of gears 347er 35, according yto the direction it is desired :to turn the' machine,

This form offy steering is especially useful .when the machine is used'as atractor. It. willvbe obvious that when this form of steering is employed, all that the driver or op-f' erator is required to do is to move the shaft section 23 laterally in the direction it is vdesired the machine to travel, the force re- ',quired for steering the machine emanating-S from the engine Tt is also apparent from the drawings and the above description thatl reversed .driving as well as speed variation is effected on driving the onel or the `other wheel gear.

A canopy.` or cover` 78 is preferably used, being supported-on .ro'd's 79 removable in sockets 8O carried vb'ythenside members of frame 1. This canopy is designedto yeffect protection from the weather tothe operator.'

y It is, ofcourse,- understood that any form of body may be mounted on the-frame l when the machine is to be used as a truck.

soy

To adapt the machine for use as a heavy f tractor ballast of, any suitable placed on the platform 14 at the tion thereof and when desired to a light weight tractor', this ballast is removed. i

Arranged atthe rear of the machine'and extending transversely between thev side members of framely yis a screw threaded nature is front porbe used as 4 shaft or rod 81, .having a bevel gear 82 at one end thereof which meshes with a coopera-ting gear 83 carried by 'an upright shaft 84 having a hand wheel 85 at its upper end. An implement connected member 86V is mounted on the screw shaft 81 `having threaded engagement therewith so that when said shaft is turned this member 86 will travel transversely of the frame l in one direction or the other, so as to positionit inl desired position tosuitably locate the implements connected therewith so that they may be employed for closepwork in connection with fence lines or the like. This member 86 may be in the torm ofa clevis and is here Vshown having a laterally extended apertured ear 87 5to-have connected therewith any suitable implements, such as plows,

cult-ivators, or the like.

A casing or hood 88 is preferably employed at the frontof the machine for enclosing the operating parts, such as the gear shifts, and the like, to protect them from the dust and the weather, and thishood may be of any suitable or desired construction.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Lette-rs Patent, is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a

wheel supported structure, driving gears of n different size fixed to each of said wheels, a drive shaft having a gear-ixed thereto, a vertically movable jack-shaft carrying cogs carrying cogs positioned to mesh to mesh with the gears on said wheels, a bevel gear carried by said jack-shaft, a connection between said drive and jack shafts whereby the latter is actuated by the former, said connection comprising a shaft composed of telescoping sections, one having a. gear meshing with the gear on said drive shaft and the other a gear meshing with the gear on the jack-shaft, whereby the jack-shaft is actuated by the drive shaft and the jack-` shaft permitted to move vertically relatively to said drive shaft.

2. In a machine of the class described, a wheel supported structure, drivinggears of different size fixed to each of said wheels, said gears alining and spaced radially from each other, a vertically movable jack-shaft alternately with the gears on said wheels, a connection between said drive and jack shafts whereby the latter is actuated by the former, said vconnection including telescopically engaged members to permit the vertical movement o the jack-shaft, and means for moving said4 jack-shaft.

3. In a machine of the class described a wheel supported frame, a" drive shaft, hangers depending from said frame and having vertically disposed guides, said wheels being mounted in said hangers and each equipped with radially opposed gears, jackshaft mounted to move vertically in said guides and carrying cog wheels positioned to mesh with the gears on said supporting wheels, and a connection between said jack- Shaft and said driving shaft whereby the jack-shaft is actuated by the drive shaft.

ln testimony whereof l alx my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN J. Moons. 

